Tue, September 19, 2017

ALEXANDRIA, VA - September 13, 2017 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its initial report of the 2016 National Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation national survey. The survey, conducted every five years in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that fishing participation is up nearly 20 percent over the last 10 years. Anglers also increased their overall spend by 2.4 percent during the past five years.

“Dedicated efforts by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), state fish and wildlife agencies, the recreational fishing industry and independent programs have madeincreases in recreational fishing possible,” said American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Glenn Hughes, vice president of Industry Relations. “Thanks also goes to ASA’s Government Affairs team and our partners who helped ensure that legislation and policy decisions were in place to provide access, clean water and fisheries conservation which anglers need for a successful day on the water.”

Overall, fishing participation increased 8.2 percent for individuals 16 to 65 years of age over the last five years. This is the highest level of participation since 1991. Revenue from equipment purchases to all trip expenditures also increased from $45 billion to $46.1 billion in the last five years.

“We’re excited to see the fruits of our efforts to increase fishing and boating participation validated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s latest report – a true benchmark of the industry,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “The results of this report show that RBFF has had a positive impact on participation since its inception, and we only plan to build upon these numbers.”

ASA has developed tools and materials for the recreational fishing industry to further assist in the effort. The emphasis is on effectively reaching anglers through recruitment,retention and reactivation (R3) practices. Several state agencies and industry partners are already implementing these R3 practices to help achieve 60 million anglers over the next 60 months.

A press release with more details on overall wildlife-related participation is available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ASA will release a full report on the findings in the spring of 2018.

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources.

Tue, September 19, 2017

U.S. Department of the Interior pledges to invest in conservation and predator management on the breeding grounds to increase duck production

BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA — Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed an historic Secretarial Order today that commits to the continued work of conserving wetland and upland nesting habitat through conservation easements, while also advancing predator management as a tool to increase duck production. The Order was crafted following an extensive effort to gather the input of Delta Waterfowl and a number of hunting and conservation organizations.

The Duck Hunters Organization believes that these relatively minor investments will yield exponential returns on behalf of waterfowl habitat and duck populations.

“Today’s Secretarial Order demonstrates the Trump Administration’s willingness to double down on its commitment to ducks and duck hunters,” said Dr. Frank Rohwer, president and chief scientist of Delta Waterfowl. “We are most appreciative of the bold leadership of the Secretary and President in pursuit of our shared vision for conserving America’s rich waterfowl breeding grounds, while increasing duck production through the use of intensive management.”

According to Dr. Scott Petrie, chief executive officer of Delta Waterfowl, Secretary Zinke’s Order reaffirms the link between the agency, conservation and hunters.

“The Order is proof positive that Secretary Zinke understands the importance of sustaining robust waterfowl populations, and recognizes the needs of hunters, who are the driving force behind America’s rich conservation heritage,” Petrie said. “It is vital that we conserve and manage essential wetland and grassland habitat on key breeding grounds by partnering with willing farmers and ranchers through the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service easement program. Today’s Order demonstrates the administration’s understanding of the critical role these programs will play in ensuring sustainable waterfowl habitat and populations.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Conservation Easement Program has conserved one-third of the critical wetlands in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region and millions of acres of native grasslands via voluntary conservation easements. These easements ensure that waterfowl habitats are preserved in perpetuity while keeping the land in private ownership and allowing continued agricultural production.

“We are also extremely pleased that Secretary Zinke recognizes the utility of predator management in key areas of the breeding grounds,” Rohwer said. “Today’s Secretarial Order serves as yet another affirmation of Delta’s longstanding commitment to researching and deploying predator management for the benefit of breeding ducks. We stand by as a scientific resource for the Secretary, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leadership and other stakeholders to continue to advance this important conversation for the benefit of enhanced duck production, and ultimately for more ducks in the fall flight for waterfowl hunters to enjoy.”

Delta’s evaluation of predator management spans more than 20 years of collaboration with universities and graduate students with field crews across the Prairie Pothole Region. Delta’s extensive research documents how and where to apply the tool for the greatest benefit to breeding ducks. In many areas of the PPR, changes in the composition and abundance of predator populations have resulted in significant declines in duck nest success, with many areas at 10 percent or less. However, Delta’s predator management research in these areas has consistently demonstrated a two- to three-fold increase in nest success — the key determinant of whether duck populations rise or fall.

“This is an exciting and historic day for ducks and duck hunters,” Rohwer said. “While a number of challenges facing ducks and duck hunters remain, the actions taken today by Secretary Zinke undoubtedly reaffirm his commitment to working with hunters and the conservation community toward our shared goal of a brighter future for waterfowl.”

For more information, contact John Devney, vice president of U.S. policy, at (701) 471-4235 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Delta Waterfowl Foundation is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and ensure the tradition of duck hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.

Wed, September 13, 2017

LENA, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has scheduled a series of public meetings to provide information about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), its effect on future deer populations, and IDNR’s efforts to control the disease. IDNR staff will also be available to answer questions about this disease. Landowners, hunters, and concerned citizens are encouraged to attend. CWD is an important issue that will dominate deer management discussions in northern Illinois for many years.

Chronic Wasting Disease is an always fatal neurological disease that is threatening the long-term health of white-tailed deer in Illinois. First documented in Illinois in 2002 near Roscoe, Illinois, CWD has been detected in 17 counties across the northern edge and northeastern portions of Illinois as far south as the Illinois River Valley. Counties affected include Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Lake, Carroll, Ogle, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, LaSalle, Kendall, Grundy, Will, Livingston, and Kankakee.

Fri, September 08, 2017

IDNR to Allocate Trapping Permits for Jim Edgar Panther Creek SFWA

CHANDLERVILLE, IL – A public drawing for the allocation of trapping permits at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area will be held at Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Registration will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the site headquarters, located approximately five miles southeast of Chandlerville.

One permit for each of the five trapping zones will be allocated through a lottery drawing. All persons attempting to enter the drawing must be in attendance and have a current 2017 trapping license in their possession.

DP (Dog Proof) Traps, live traps, and traps of similar action may be used. Homemade dog-proof traps must be designed with a foothold trap no larger than a #2 in an enclosed wood, metal, or durable plastic container with a single access opening of no larger than 1½ inches in diameter. All body-gripping traps must be totally submerged.

Trappers will be required to report harvest/hunter/trapping trips no later than Feb. 15 each year (or two weeks after the season closes for those seasons ending after Feb. 1). Failure to report in this manner will result in forfeiture of hunting/trapping privileges at this site for the following year.

For more information, contact Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area at 217-452-7741.

Fri, August 11, 2017

Lake Shelbyville Dove Hunt Applications Available

Lake Shelbyville - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville will be conducting a dove hunt on Saturday, September 2, 2017 at Whitley Creek
and South Sand Creek Dove Fields. On September 2, two hunts will take place,
one in the morning (6:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.) and one in the afternoon (2 p.m.
- 7 p.m.). A permit is required to participate in the hunt. Permit
applications can be picked up at the Lake Shelbyville Project Office Monday
through Friday 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., or obtained online athttp://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lake-Shelbyville/Recreatio
n/Hunting/.

Applicants will be able to indicate their preference for the hunt (a.m.,
p.m., or either). Permit applications must be received at the Lake
Shelbyville Project Office no later than 4 p.m. on August 14, 2017. A
$30.00 permit issuance fee will be assessed per blind (good for two
hunters), payable at the time of application. Each successful youth
applicant may choose to pay the $30.00 fee or make a donation of 10
nonperishable food items on the day of the hunt. The non-perishable food
items will be donated to a local food bank. One permit will allow two
hunters the use of a designated hunting blind. The public drawing for
permits will take place on August 15, 2017 at 8 a.m. at the Lake Shelbyville
Project Office. Applicants do not have to be present for the drawing;
successful applicants will be notified by phone no later than August 18th.
Hunting blinds for both hunts will be drawn at the field before each hunt on
September 2.

The youth hunt is limited to children sixteen years old and under. A
hunting assistant who is a parent, legal guardian, or family member of at
least eighteen years of age must accompany each youth. The hunting
assistant will be able to hunt with the youth they accompany. Youth hunters
and their guardians will only be allowed to hunt one of the time slots to
ensure maximum amount of participation.

Whitley Creek and South Sand Creek Dove Fields will be closed to all hunting
on September 1st. Beginning September 3rd, and throughout the remainder of
the 2017 dove season, hunting will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Hunting will only be allowed from designated blinds and statewide shooting
hours will be in effect (sunrise to sunset). For additional information
concerning dove hunting at Lake Shelbyville, contact Natural Resource
Specialist Cory Donnel at (217) 774-3951 Ext: 7001.

Thu, August 10, 2017

Lake level is 604.2. Water is quite clear (for MTL). Water temp is about 80 degree’s. It has cooled considerably with this cooler weather we have been enjoying.

CRAPPIE: Lots of fish being caught right now. Most of them are in the 9 to 11 inch range. Plenty of people are limiting out. Find brush piles in 10 to 20 FOW or bridge piers, or even blowdowns. In shallower water you can find them near the bottom. Pink seems to be a good color choice whether mixed with black or white. Chartreuse will work as well. Don’t forget to add a nibble. Minnows are working well also.

BASS: There are some white bass hitting on the points and islands. Watch for the shad busting. Largemouth seem to be a bit tough right now.

CATFISH: Plenty of channel cats to be caught. Blues and flatheads are still pretty tough, though there are some being caught. I heard of both flatheads and blues in the 25# range over the past few days.